Cornwall’s biggest business selfie

More than a hundred and twenty Cornish business owners and managers are now part of the county’s biggest business selfie.

The photo was taken last week at Unlocking Potential’s Future Focus event at Heartlands in Pool.

In a first for Cornwall, bosses from two world-leading brands were invited to share their experience and expertise with a sell-out crowd of Cornish SMEs. Dan Germain, group head of brand at Innocent Drinks and Gavin Jones, the IT innovation manager for The John Lewis Partnership, offered delegates a glimpse of how large companies are finding new ways to seek tomorrow’s customer.

To celebrate the ground breaking event, Unlocking Potential programme director, Allyson Glover, snapped a selfie of the packed auditorium which has since been shared widely on social media.

Innocent’s brand champion Germain helped create one of the most engaging brands in the world, built on social media. He entertained the audience with stories of how the company inadvertently launched World Penguin Awareness Day, why putting hats on bottles has been its most enduring marketing campaign and how the success of the brand can be summed up by the fact a loyal customer, “they liked us enough, they made us quilting!”

He said: “I think you have to look after the people who pay your wages and find a way to listen. The best brands are involved in the fabric of people’s lives and as humans we find the brands we like and that speak to us. In terms of authenticity then, don’t talk about it. Just be it.”

With Germain’s focus on what goes on inside your business, Gavin Jones concentrated on responding to external demands and advised delegates to move from surprise to anticipation when it comes to customer expectation in the future.

“It’s important though that when we are looking at innovation, be customer-obsessed, not technology obsessed,” he said. “Make sure you stay relevant and align innovation to your business strategies but think big, think exponentially – there’s no point in incremental change.”

Anyone who is interested in attending the next event, planned for November 30, or who wants to know more about Future Focus Labs should sign up to the Unlocking Potential newsletter for updates – visit www.unlocking-potential.co.uk

Editorial director Nick Eyriey is an experienced and respected journalist having spent some 20 years in the local and national press working with newspapers such as The Yorkshire Post, Today, The Sun, and the Mail on Sunday.